All this just leads me back to the Dyson Sphere
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere>. I wonder which faction
(Conservative, Progressive, Green or Libertarian at the moment) are most
likely to lead us to that point (ignoring the much higher likelihood
that 2 or 3 of the 4 will likely lead us off a cliff or into a
bridge-abutment first?
It seems as if the conservatives would find it most appealing on the
face of it, perfect and complete harvesting of all resources... sort of
a solar-system scale plantation (think Niven's Ringworld).
For similar but different in spirit, perhaps, the progressives would
approve of maximizing the delivery of natural resources to all humans
equally... greatest good for most in some sense.
Greens, you would think, would be totally opposed, the epitome of
destroying the "natural order".
LIbertarians probably assume that this is where we will end up on our
own, totally optimizing resource utilization through uber-free markets?
Satire may be tricky but it should be obvious that whatever energy
leaves the sun leaves it regardless of whether it hits the earth or
the solar panels thereon. Also compare the total area of those panels
with the area of the sphere whose radius is the distance from the
earth to the sun (approximately 12 x 10^14 or 1,200,000,000,000,000
square miles). If the surface of the earth were covered with solar
panels the flux of the solar energy that hits them in a given length
of time would be approximately one billionth of the total energy
emitted in that time. I don't think the sun would notice that.
Frank C. Wimberly
140 Calle Ojo Feliz
Santa Fe, NM 87505
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
Phone: (505) 995-8715 Cell: (505) 670-9918
*From:*Friam [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *John Balwit
*Sent:* Monday, May 26, 2014 10:32 AM
*To:* The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
*Subject:* Re: [FRIAM] Solar Panels Drain the Sun's Energy, Experts
Say | National Report
Satire is tricky. For it to be effective it must be subtle but if it
becomes too subtle it begins to merge with the "straight news" news of
which it is a parody.
I wonder if there is an etymological connection between the word
"parody" and "paradox"?
I like the Solar Panel article because I was initial "taken in" (that
is assumed it was a real piece of right wing propaganda) but on a
second reading all the funny little "tricks" that they
identified/employed just made be bust a gut.
The article also highlighted for me the necessary steps of due
diligence that are required in our relatively new Internet information
environment.
It is so easy to uncritically digest things that accord with our own
beliefs. Unfortunately, the stake for gullibility are quite high.
I think that satire like the National Report, The Onion, and perhaps
even Fox News (!?) may ultimately serve a valuable role in public
education.
John Balwit
On May 26, 2014, at 10:03 AM, Roger Critchlow <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Clickbait, given the window dressing on the "National Report" website.
It's not being taken seriously except for its ability to drag eyes to
the page and feed them onto other pages designed to tax the credulous.
So, not much in the news because it's out south of Cabo and unlikely
to reach shore, Amanda is the strongest May hurricane seen in the East
Pacific since we began watching with satellites. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
-- rec --
On Mon, May 26, 2014 at 9:40 AM, Nick Thompson
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
So Pamela; how did it get from FB to the Wyoming (Dick Cheney?)
institute of Physics Research. I still don't get it? Too paranoid to
be laughing, yet.
N
Nicholas S. Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology
Clark University
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
<http://home.earthlink.net/%7Enickthompson/naturaldesigns/>
*From:*Friam [mailto:[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>] *On Behalf Of *Pamela McCorduck
*Sent:* Monday, May 26, 2014 10:09 AM
*To:* The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
*Subject:* Re: [FRIAM] Solar Panels Drain the Sun's Energy, Experts
Say | National Report
A couple of scientists I know posted this on FB, never DREAMING anyone
would take it seriously. Guess what.
On May 26, 2014, at 12:24 AM, Tom Johnson <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Oh boy. Are we in trouble now!
http://nationalreport.net/solar-panels-drain-suns-energy-experts-say/
===================================
Tom Johnson - Inst. for Analytic Journalism
Santa Fe, NM
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. 505-473-9646
<tel:505-473-9646>
===================================
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Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
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Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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